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Women in business? Pass the smelling salts

Despite the rumour mill of social history, women have played an important economic role throughout many different eras. During the twentieth century there was a tendency for many women to tow the line and stay home bringing up baby but prior to this the story was a bit more complicated.

Believe it or not, women in the workplace, working for themselves or even working in trades or professions was not unheard of. Yes, privileged, wealthy women stayed at home embroidering in between fainting fits; however, terms like “Charlady” and “Fishwife” have left us a clue as to what the rest of the female population got up to. That would be working then! Today, with a few social changes under our corsets, women are out and about in the workplace, and of course, doing it for themselves.

The “Mumpreneur” is not as new as we might think, but technology has played its part and turned the stay-at-home-business-mum less of a phenomenon and more of a common feature of everyday business life. So for those about to travel down this surprisingly well trodden path, what do you need to know?

Tools, Help and Advice

Money makes the world go round

Money makes the world go round, but finding a few shiny coins to get your business started is no easy thing. For those out of the world of work, money is not easy to come by and even for mums who combine that role with a part time job, having anything left over to start up can seem impossible. Contact your local branch, enterprise board or Busines Linkfor a whole range of advice and possible sources of financial help, to get your proposal off the ground. Some of the services will be free or heavily discounted. Also check out what’s on offer from the Women in Business network; there’s a clue in the name as to this organisations focus and the range of help, support and training available through the organisation is impressive.

A good plan

Business enterprises need planning whatever their size. Both of the above sites will help you to evaluate your idea and refine your business plan. Some ideas will need more planning than others, but it’s worth making sure you have some advice at this stage. A good business plan can help to turn the phrase “computer says no” into the exact opposite, when you’re trying to find some funding for your business from a bank.

Juggling commitments

Most women are no strangers to effective time management (also known as juggling a range of commitments). When you run your own business time management becomes an even more refined art form. One crucial factor for “mumpreneurs”, at the outset, is to consider what their priorities are. The main driver for this type of business is often to be able to bring in some extra cash, but still have time to bring up the kids; you’ll need to balance these competing factors. If you intend the business to become a serious earner you’ll have to devote more time to the business than to the family; getting this balance right from the start is crucial, not only for the success of your business, but for your sanity.

Mumpreneur

As a “mumpreneur” you will not be alone. Thanks to the wonderful world of the web, there are a host of ways to find help and support from others in the same position, both in the UK and across the globe. Mumsclub.co.uk is a site designed for working parents and you’ll find a range of links to other parents in the same circumstances as your own. These can be invaluable resources for those new to the way of life.

From Caterina van Hemessen to Florence Nightingale, or to modern entrepreneurs like Arianna Huffington, sisters have been doing it for themselves for a little longer than some historians would like us to believe. For those starting out on the road to business success, with a toddler or two in tow, learning to juggle a few extra plates can help to create your own place in history.

About pandavr

Carlo Pandian is a freelance writer based in UK and blogs about SME, marketing and accountancy covering everything from tutorials on QuickBooks bookkeeping software to social media campaigns.

2 Responses to Women in business? Pass the smelling salts

Sad that this sexist shite is making it onto SBC now as well. Can we not all just treat women as equals and not keep labeling them with stupid words like WAHM, Mumpreneur, and whatever other condescending rubbish is floating about. Of course women worked. Has nobody head of Joan of Arc or Queen Elizabeth I or Grainne O’Malley, or a million other famous women in history who excelled in their field. What about women with no kids? Why are they treated differently in business? How is it anyones business if a woman has children or not? What about men with kids? Are they so much better and capable than women that they don’t need a club? Your family circumstances and your gender should not be relevant to your business career. As for juggling commitments – for God sake – what a tired sad old cliché and any author who can think of nothing better to say about females than the usual crap that they know how to juggle commitments or can multitask needs to get a new career.

About Small Business Can

The idea for Small Business Can comes from an Ulster Bank initiative when we went and talked to hundreds of businesspeople and asked them about the types of business supports they most valued. The majority said that they valued the insights of other businesspeople the most. We came up with smallbusinesscan.com, a site run by businesspeople for businesspeople. Read more...